Introducing the A. Lange and Sohne 1815 Anniversary of F.A. Lange in Honey Gold (specs & price)
In the collection of A. Lange and Sohne, there are two classical, understated, elegant dress-watches. If the Saxonia is the entry-level and simple offering (no offense here, it is a really great deal), the 1815 is the traditionalist one, the conservative side of?A. Lange and?Sohne. After a first edition in platinum with a black dial, the brand continues to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Ferdinand?Adolph Lange (the founder of the manufacture) with another edition,?the A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Anniversary of F.A. Lange, in Honey Gold.Honey Gold is a proprietary alloy with a very soft honey tone, in between the colour of the untreated German silver used for the movements and the bright?and warm tone of?yellow gold. It is softer, classier and more discreet - and more exclusive as only available on certain editions of A. Lange?and?Sohne watches. Together with this case (that is still measuring a reasonable 40mm), the dial is also exclusive and features a slightly grained surface –

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm Frosted Gold 26240
Far from a radical transformation to mark its 50th anniversary, the design evolutions practised on the Royal Oak Selfwinding time-and-date and Selfwinding Chronograph models are subtle, perpetuating the spirit of Gerald Genta's epic 1972 Royal Oak. Its commanding octagonal bezel with eight exposed hexagonal screws, its tonneau-shaped case, integrated bracelet, and tapisserie guilloche dial are so sacrosanct and embedded in the identity of the Royal Oak that nobody in their right mind would think of substituting them. Two 41mm Selfwinding Chronographs join the 50th-anniversary party with attractive frosted gold cases and Audemars Piguet's latest-generation integrated flyback chronograph movement, calibre 4401. From May to July 2022, the Frosted Gold Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm?will be sold exclusively in Japan; in August 2022, they will be available worldwide.Hammered gold casesThe cases of these 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronographs are crafted in 18k white or yellow gold with a spect

A Technical Perspective - The Mighty Return of Ultra-Thin Watches
Miniaturisation has always been one of the watchmaking industry’s main objectives. With the advent of complicated watches and the development of the wristwatch, this issue became critical. Fitting multiple functions into a single movement, which has to remain wearable, requires re-imagining space. This also led to the development of ultra-thin watches, guided initially by a desire for elegance, but also in the framework of constant improvement. Popular since the 1960s but slightly forgotten during the 2000s (with the trend for large timepieces), ultra-thin watches recently made a strong comeback – a trend that has sparked open warfare between Piaget and Bvlgari – amongst others.Modern history of the ultra-thin wristwatchThe concept of the ultra-thin wristwatch is nothing new but it's Piaget and the iconic Altiplano model that bring it into the spotlight. In 1957, Piaget introduced Calibre 9P; the thinnest mechanical movement ever created, it was fitted inside a watch

Life as a Watch Retailer in 2020, Brick & Mortar versus E-commerce, Corona Perils and Founding the Amsterdam Chapter of Red Bar - Monochrome Watches
The past year has been a tough one for pretty much everyone on the planet. Some saw their business grow at such speed that it was a huge challenge to keep the pace up, while others (unfortunately many more) suffered from an almost standstill of their business. Brick and mortar stores had a very tough time, online flourished. ACE Jewelers are, besides a family business, a pioneer in e-commerce, and were the first to be allowed to sell luxury watches online; not your typical old fashioned jeweler. We sat down with Alon from ACE Jewelers, in Amsterdam, to hear how they have dealt with 2020, with the Coronavirus, and all its challenges.Frank, MONOCHROME –?Alon, when did you enter the family business and what was your first task or job in the company? Ad - Scroll to continue with article Alon Ben-Joseph: My father started Ace Jewelers back in 1975. As a baby, I

Is the IWC Pilot Automatic Top Gun still the Cool Cat of the Collection? - Monochrome Watches
I strapped the new IWC Pilot Automatic Top Gun around my wrist and started thinking. Is this contemporary, black ceramic interpretation of the world's most famous war watch actually the coolest iteration to date? Is the predecessor of the famous Mark XI now the cool cat of the collection??Understanding IWC's ever-expanding Pilot's collection is an art in itself. The essential differences between Classic', Top Gun' and Spitfire' (not even mentioning the Petit Prince' and Antoine de Saint-Exupery' editions), are not really worth getting into –? the watches are too cool to lose ourselves in those silly details. Let's just start with sorting things out. Both the Classic' and the Top Gun' collections contain tool watches, but the best way to describe the difference is the latter is the first one with a contemporary twist. The Top Guns are a bit more fashionable and a little bit younger. Also, the prices differ. Ad - Scroll to continue with article